Conducting polymers are widely used as electrode coatings in electrophysiology to lower impedance and achieve higher quality recordings more efficient stimulation. Their availability dispersions that can be processed directly from solution makes them particularly attractive for applications, where low cost compatibility with mechanically flexible substrates important. In this work, we demonstra...

This study reports a synthetic polymer functionalized with catechol groups as dental adhesives. We hypothesize that a catechol-functionalized polymer functions as a dental adhesive for wet dentin surfaces, potentially eliminating the complications associated with saliva contamination. We prepared a random copolymer containing catechol and methoxyethyl groups in the side chains. The mechanical a...

Acetylation of wood imparts moisture durability, decay resistance, and dimensional stability to wood; however, making durable adhesive bonds with acetylated wood can be more difficult than with unmodified wood. The usual explanation is that the acetylated surface has fewer hydroxyl groups, resulting in a harder-to-wet surface and in fewer hydrogen bonds between wood and adhesive. This concept w...

Mucosa-adhesive gels can be used as a useful mean of delivering drugs to or via mucosal membranes, and in particular buccal mucosa. Carbomers are among the best mucosa-adhesive materials known. The aim of this study was to compare the results obtained from the mucosa-adhesive strength of aqueous gels containing Carbomers, either alone or in combination, to the data obtained from assessing the d...

We propose that chemically inert polymeric films can enhance van der Waals (vdW) forces in the same way as nanofabrication of biomimetic adhesive materials. For the vdW adhesion of an ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE) film on rough metal and dielectric substrates, we present a model that combines microscopic quantum-chemistry simulations of the polymer response functions and the equilibr...

We describe the design of micropatterned surfaces for single cell studies, based on thermoresponsive polymer brushes. We show that brushes made of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafted at high surface density display excellent protein and cell anti-adhesive properties. Such brushes are readily patterned at the micron scale via deep UV photolithography. A proper choice of the adhesive pattern shap...

Insect-inspired foot materials can enable robots to walk on surfaces reg less of the direction of gravity, which significantly increases the functi workspace of a compact robot. Previously, Mini-WhegsTM, a small ro that uses four wheel-legs for locomotion, was converted to a wall-wal robot with compliant, conventional-adhesive feet. In this work, the were replaced with a novel, reusable insect-...

This study considers confocal Raman spectroscopy as a means of identifying a range of synthetic polymeric adhesives used in textile conservation. Many of the synthetic adhesives applied to support fragile textiles in the 1970s are now showing signs of ageing and the textiles are therefore being presented for retreatment. With no record of the adhesive used, conservators are unsure of the approp...

The adhesion of supported polymer thin fi lms is predominantly infl uenced by the substrate-fi lm interfacial properties. Utilizing steered molecular dynamics simulations, here we uncover that the cohesive noncovalent forces between polymer chains in the fi lm also have a signifi cant effect on the adhesive properties of supported fi lm. We demonstrate that weaker interchain interactions, all e...